


Stay

by cherryjam (blueskull)



Series: Sea's WoL Challenge [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Heavensward Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Angst, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Somewhat, written for seaswolchallenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25719550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueskull/pseuds/cherryjam
Summary: A light at the end of the storm.
Relationships: Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Series: Sea's WoL Challenge [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768804
Kudos: 13





	Stay

“Laurelis...?”

The miqo’te’s ears twitch. Immediately upon hearing that faint voice, her throat closes up. Even if she’d wanted to reply, she can’t.

Her gaze hardens as she stares determinedly at the book in her lap, her gaze not deviating even slightly from the singular dot at the end of its line. Her jaw clenches as her breath wavers unsteadily in her throat. She’s certain that if she moves her head or looks anywhere else, she’ll simply burst into tears. So she just. Doesn’t move.

Her fingers ball into fists at her sides.

“I-I’m so sorry -- to disturb you -- ” she stammers in a gasp, jerking to her feet. She’s forgotten all about the book, and it tumbles to the stone floor in a mess of pages. “Oh, I -- ” Laurelis tries not to sob even as her cheeks heat in shame and embarrassment. Clumsily, she leans down to pick the book up and right it, smoothing its pages. The world around her blurs from tears, her eyes feeling unbearably hot.

 _So stupid. So pathetic._ She wants to turn tail and run. She should. She shouldn’t have even been here, she -- they’re not even...

“You aren’t -- ” Haurchefant stops a moment, as if he needs to collect himself. “You aren’t bothering me, I assure you. Full glad am I to see you here...” She can hear the smile in his voice, and it twists at her heart all the more intensely. “In fact, I would much like it if you stayed.”

Despite herself, the tears flow freely down her cheeks now. Her ears flatten to her skull as her tail wavers uncertainly.

“That is, if you’re not busy -- if...if you are, I would hate to -- ”

“I-I’m not!” Laurelis’ voice is much louder than she intends it to be. Her head shoots up to stare at the bandaged man bundled in the bed, her eyes steely with determination despite the emotions seeping from them. “I’m not. I...I just wanted to...”

She sucks in a deep breath and forces a smile to her face as she draws nearer. One hand lifts as if to touch him, though she quickly thinks better of it.

“I-I’m glad to...see you awake.” Her voice cracks awfully in the midst of her sentence, and she tries to swallow another onslaught of emotion. “I-I am...so glad...”

The elezen smiles gently at her. “And I am glad to see you here. And...grateful. For what you’ve done. I would not be here, if not for you.”

The miqo’te shakes her head, raising a hand to brush at her wet eyes. “N-no -- I just -- I d-didn’t really do m-much...” Another hiccup leaves her. Her brows furrow. “I couldn’t -- even -- s-stop -- ”

“You could not have stopped me, no matter what you did.” Haurchefant’s voice is clear and firm. “I did what I wanted -- what I _had_ to do. I couldn’t simply let you get hurt. And I would do it over and over again if it meant seeing you safe.”


End file.
